From an early age, Ashley Navarre always knew she was called to be a nurse. Her journey, however, was far from easy. Determined to attend Delgado Charity School of Nursing, she applied several times and faced multiple denials. Refusing to give up, she took the advice of a Delgado adviser who encouraged her to pursue a LPN program first and later bridge over to RN. Ashley enrolled at Nunez Community College, where she successfully completed her Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program in 2014. Upon graduation, she encountered another unexpected setback—Charity had implemented a new rule requiring applicants from other schools to work for two years before being eligible to apply to their LPN-RN Bridge program. Once again, Ashley faced a roadblock. Undeterred, she decided to retake the pre-nursing TEAS exam, failing NOT ONCE but TWICE—each time by just half a point. On her third attempt, she achieved the score she needed and was finally accepted into Delgado Charity School of Nursing’s full two-year RN program. This was the best option rather than to work 2 years and reapply for the LPN-RN Bridge program. Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Ashley is a proud graduate of John F. Kennedy High School, Class of 2003. With over 11 years of experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings, she has dedicated her career to serving her community through compassionate, patient-centered care. As the CEO and Founder of Empowered Mind Solutions, Ashley is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner practicing in both Colorado, Louisiana & Washington. She is deeply committed to a holistic and integrative approach—supporting the emotional, physical, social, and spiritual well-being of her patients. Her mission is to provide personalized, evidence-based psychiatric care that fosters healing, resilience, and overall wellness.